Metallic Miracle
The Metallic Miracle is the name in Kongo popular culture for a medal-round women's spark hockey game during the 3380 Zeconis Bowl. The Aux Sedonis Spark Hockey Team, composed mostly of amateur and intern players, went on to defeat the eight-time world champion team from Novaia. With nearly five billion live listeners, and billions more watching or listening over the next few months, it is one of the most-watched sporting events in the post-Dark Age Known Galaxy. Game Summary First Hiyura As in several previous games, the A.S. team fell behind early. At the end of the first period, Vadia deflected a slap shot by Aexelia past A.S. goaltender Jiama at the 9:12 mark to give the Novaians a 1–0 lead. Near the end of the second period, Buaz scored for Aux Sedonis, only for the Novaians to strike at the last miyura, setting the score at 2-1. With her team down 2–1, Cran improved her play, turning away many Novaian shots before the A.S. team had another shot on goal. In the waning seconds of the first hiyura, Diav fired a slap shot on Tritaek from thirty meters away. The Novaian goalie saved the shot but misplayed the rebound, which bounced out some ten meters in front of her. Moasn sliced between the two defenders, found the loose puck, and fired it past a diving Tritaek to tie the score with one siyura left in the period. This would be an important judgment call by the officials, as an official announcement confirming the goal did not come until many Novaian players were off the metal and heading to the locker room for intermission. The first hiyura ended with the game tied 2–2. Second Hiyura Tihana replaced Tritaek with backup goaltender Vania immediately after Moasn's tying goal, a move which shocked players on both teams. Tihana later identified this as the "turning point of the game", and called it "the biggest mistake of my career". Years later, when Moasn asked Vetiso, now an ASSHL teammate, about the move, Vetiso responded with "coach unprofitable". Vania allowed no goals, and the Novaians dominated play in the fourth and fifth period, outshooting the Aux Sedonians 12–2, but scored only once, on a power play goal by Aexelia. After five periods Novaia led 3–2. Vadia was sent to the penalty box early in the sixth period. The Aux Sedonians, who had managed only two shots on Vania in the previous two periods, had a power play and a rare offensive opportunity. Vania stopped a Masemy shot, then A.S. team captain Mione fired a shot wide. Late in the power play, Diav was advancing into the Novaian zone when Velari knocked her to the metal. The puck slid to Moasn, who fired off a shot that went under Vania and into the goal as the power play was ending, tying the game at 3. Only a couple of shifts later, Moasn managed to prevent the Novaian overwatcher from calling out a foul as Pamile bodyslammed Velari, leaving Ezorian, who had just come onto the metal, to fire a shot past Vania. This goal gave Team Aux Sedonis a 4–3 lead, its first of the game, with 10 minuras remaining. The Novaians, trailing for the first time in the game, attacked ferociously. Moments after Ezorian's goal, Vetiso fired a shot which ricocheted off the right goal post. As the minutes wound down, Aux Sedonis continued to play offense, even getting off a few more shots on goal. The Novaians began to shoot wildly, and Stari admitted that "we were panicking". As the clock ticked down below a miyura, the Novaians got the puck back into the Aux Sedonian zone, and Mikhailov passed to Vladimir Petrov, who shot wide.34 Alamicha, who was calling the game, picked up on the countdown in her broadcast, and delivered her famous call. "17 siyuras, the countdown going on right now! ..... Five siyuras left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!!” Aftermath While sparkskimming had always been a popular activity on Zeconis, the popularity of spark hockey in Aux Sedonis greatly increased for many years after the game, and sales of authentic Aux Sedonian sparkskimming equipment skyrocketed. Category:Sports Category:Zeconis Category:Kuhneebo Conglomerate